4. EBAT, Antalya, Türkiye, 3 - 06 Kasım 2022, ss.15-16
The
molecular detection of SARS CoV_2 is the most reliable method in the world and
it is performed by real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
(rRT-PCR ) for the conserved regions of viral genome, which was announced by
the World Health Organisation. One of these region is 2019-nCoV_N2 and this sequence is still used for molecular
detection as different base lengths depending on the kit suppliers. Since the
rRT-PCR method is expensive and needs well trained personnel, alternative
molecular detection tools are needed. Lateral flow assay is a naked eye
analysis test used for nucleic acid detection as a molecular assay and commonly
developed by gold nanoparticles.
In this study,
lateral flow assay platform was designed and prepared for the molecular
recognition of 2019-nCoV_N2 region by
using gold nanoparticles as label. Assay was prepared according to the
principle of hybridization of synthetic oligonucleotides on the membrane. Strip
tests are prepared by synthesized colloidal gold nanoparticle/single stranded
oligonucleotide conjugate and commercially available nitrocellulose membrane.
Results
showed that both the synthetic target sequence and real sample sequence of 2019-nCoV_N2 obtained from the patients were
detected by naked eye in a 5 minute with the prepared strip assay. Therefore,
the usage of lateral flow assay for the molecular detection of SARS CoV_2 as an
alternative and cheap method to rRT-PCR was demonstrated, successfully. It was
also hypothesized that this sandwich model can be prepared and used for the
detection of polymerase chain reaction products of virus and could be adopted
to mutated regions of viral genome as a further goals.